Book Printing Outlook: Trade, Higher Ed Better

"Until this equipment became available, unit costs were pretty high for a digitally produced four-color book in a run of 700 to 800 books," Tobin points out. "This will allow us to build a really nice business and to meet a need among higher ed publishers, as well as trade and el-hi publishers."

The name may be slightly different, but little has changed in the grand scheme for Worldcolor (nee Quebecor World) as it continues to seek out ways to differentiate itself among book printers. According to Kevin Clarke, president of Publishing Services, 2009 was a tale of two campaigns; the first, an ultra-conservative reaction to the economy, with a solid finish in the second half of the year buoyed by some big titles fueling the trade arena.